The beaches of the Gower Peninsula are some of Great Britain's most stunning coastline.
Less than 15 minutes from the City of Swansea, the Gower Peninsula is home to around 50 unspoilt beaches, coves and bays.
Gower beaches receive regular acclaim in the press; for example, Rhossili is:
* 'The supermodel of British beaches' (The Independent)
* One of the '25 best beaches in the world' (The Sunday Times)
* One of the '20 Greatest Rural British Walks' (The Times)
* One of the 'Top 10 Coastal Walks' (The Times)
* The UK's No.1 dog-friendly beach (The Times)
The Guardian lists neighbouring Llangennith among its '10 classic surfing beaches' and 'Top 10 UK Surf Spots', while Three Cliffs Bay is Britain's best camping beach (The Independent), and one of the top 4 views in Britain (Britain's Favourite View contest, ITV).
Play it safe
* Some Gower beaches are subject to strong tides and currents, so always check the weather and tidal conditions before swimming or any water-based activity (and if inexperienced, use an accredited operator).
* If available, always abide by warning flags and notices.
* If surfing at Llangennith, watch out for shipwrecks below the waterline.
* When crossing over to Worm's Head, please report to the Coastwatch Centre before you go. If your return journey is cut off by high tide, do not attempt to swim back to shore.
* And finally, don't forget the suncream!
Three Cliffs Bay Bay
Blue Flag Status 2010
Swansea Bay scoops 4 Green Coast Awards and 5 Blue Flags!
Gower beaches are routinely awarded the coveted Blue Flag, Rural Seaside and Green Coast awards, recognising their quality, cleanliness and services. Take a look at our Gower Good Beach Guide for details of beach awards and facilities.
Tourist bosses in Swansea say they are over the moon after Pwll Du, Mewslade, Tor Bay and Rhossili all won the coveted Green Coast Award while Bracelet Bay, Caswell Bay, Langland Bay, Port Eynon and Swansea Marina all achieved the prestigious Blue Flag status.
Even more reasons to visit our beautiful beaches all year round... find out more about the awards.
The beaches of Swansea Bay, Mumbles and the Gower Peninsula are some of Great Britain's most stunning coastline. Swansea itself is centred on the five-mile sweep of Swansea Bay, while less than 15 minutes from the City is Gower, home to around 50 unspoilt beaches, coves and bays.
Their variety is renowned – from the jaw-dropping vastness of Rhossili, to the tiny, secluded Pwll Du; the wild ponies and cockle-beds of Penclawdd, to the superlative views across Three Cliffs Bay.
Gower Peninsula beaches are routinely awarded the coveted Blue Flag, Rural Seaside and Green Coast awards, recognising their quality, cleanliness and services.
Beaches are judged against 30 criteria, including water quality, management, easy to read information, strict dog control ans sustainable environmental ethics.
Marinas are scored in 16 areas including the avialability of adequate life saving equipment and a commitment to safeguarding the environment. Swansea Marina was one of just eight in Britain and five in Wales to meet the mark.
Keep Wales Tidy, which manages the awards schme in Wales on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education, awarded 38 beaches in total.
Gower Beaches > location map and information ..........................Click here to Start
Tour
Use the links on the interactive map or table below to find out about a beach
or select
a beach from the list below
Dog By-laws Dogs banned from 1st May - 30th September Dog-friendly beaches
Dog-friendly beaches
Beach information for dog-owners
The Gower Peninsula is a very popular destination for dog-owners, with many of its beaches allowing year-round access for dogs. These include Rhossili, voted the UK's No. 1 dog-friendly beach by The Times.
The full list of Swansea Bay and Gower beaches which allow year-round access for dogs is as follows:
1. Swansea Bay from the slip (opposite Victoria Park/Patti Pavilion) to the beach access at Sketty Lane Car Park (opposite the Wales National Pool/Singleton Boating Lake)
2. Mumbles (as far as the lighthouse)
3. Pwll Du
4. Pobbles
5. Three Cliffs Bay
6. Oxwich Bay (including Crawley and Tor Bay)
7. Horton (from the Lifeguard Station east towards Oxwich)
8. Port Eynon (from the main steps west to the Salt House)
9. Mewslade Bay
10. Rhossili Bay
11. Llangennith
12. Broughton Bay, North Gower
13. Whiteford Sands, North Gower
Seasonal dog ban
There is an annual, five-month access restriction for dogs on some beaches, which means that a small number are off-limits to dogs from May 1st to September 30th each year. During this period, visitors with dogs are asked to keep to the beaches listed above, which allow year-round access.
Between May 1st and September 30th each year, dogs are not allowed on the following beaches:
1. Swansea Bay from the River Tawe to the slip (opposite Victoria Park/Patti Pavilion)
2. Swansea Bay from the beach access at Sketty Lane Car Park (opposite the Wales National Pool/Singleton Boating Lake) to the Northern edge of the slip (opposite the West Cross Inn)
3. Bracelet Bay, near Mumbles
4. Limeslade Bay, near Mumbles
5. Rotherslade Bay, Langland
6. Langland Bay
7. Caswell Bay
8. Port Eynon beach from the eastern edge of the steps to Port Eynon beach to the eastern edge of Horton beach access.
Please keep your dog on a lead at:
1. The entire promenade around Swansea Bay (from the River Tawe to the Knab Rock Car Park in Mumbles)
2. The promenade at Langland Bay and Rotherslade
3. The promenade at Caswell Bay (including the cliff path)
Collars and tags
Dogs in public places must wear a collar with the name and address of the owner attached. If you are holidaying in Swansea, you may find it useful to have a temporary collar for your dog, with your holiday address on it.
Microchipping is not a legal requirement, but it helps the Local Authority contact you if your dog is impounded. If you have lost your dog, please contact City & County of Swansea as soon as possible on 01792 635 600.
Dog fouling
The City & County of Swansea has installed over 400 dog waste disposal bins and, in some areas, poop scoop dispensers. Dog owners who allow their animals to foul, without cleaning up, risk a fixed penalty notice of £75. Please help keep Swansea Bay clean and use the bins provided for your dog.
If you have any queries, contact the City & County of Swansea Environment Department on 01792 635 600, or email evh@swansea.gov.uk.
SUNDAY TIMES: KATHERINE JENKINS:
Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula
“I grew up on the edge of the Gower, but it was still a holiday place for our family. We’d go on weekend breaks to Three Cliffs Bay – six miles down the road! That’s how gorgeous it is.....“My auntie kept a little caravan on the clifftops, and I spent long summer days there with my dog, digging out boats in the sand and sitting in them, waiting for the tide to come in. .... “I’m biased, I know, but my view is not just about sentimentality: the bay really is beautiful, with three curious crags of triangular limestone jutting out into the waves, like pyramids. You can walk right underneath them, through a rocky archway to the shore.
“There’s a bit of everything: the sea, the cliffs, the salt marshes, a meandering stream curling down to the sea – and Pennard Castle, an 800-year-old fort tucked behind the beach. It’s in picturesque ruins, perfect for mooning about in. Sometimes you even see wild horses cantering along the sands. Talk about romantic. ..... “It may seem a strange thing to say about a beach, but to me Three Cliffs always feels so intimate and cosy. It gives me the feeling of being hugged. I take friends there whenever I’m home, and every time I’m struck by the magic of it again. It still takes my breath away.” ......
Three Cliffs Bay looking towards Tor Bay and Oxwich
ITV: The Brighter Side featuring Oxwich Bay and Three Cliffs Bay
BBH London, The Mill and MJZ have created a feel good brand campaign for ITV1 which launched under the strapline, ‘The Brighter Side’, positioning the channel as British television’s cheeriest, most upbeat channel. A 60 second TV ad kick-starts the campaign. A further 90 second version called ‘Beach’ will run in cinemas nationwide and will be available online. The campaign aims to remind viewers that ITV1 is one of the UK's "most loved brands" and persuade advertisers of the power of big TV shows. "Beach" features children meandering along a dull coastline until they begin throwing stones through the grey clouds to reveal a ray of sunlight. As the sunshine breaks through the clouds, the shoreline is lit up and the children begin to play, basking in the bright light.
The spot was filmed over three days, each of which featured very different weather and lighting conditions which needed to be carefully pieced together in the final edit. The Mill’s Ant Walsham created beautifully crafted light rays which form the centrepiece of the ad. He explains, “The rays of sunshine were created using just flame. This required an extraordinary attention to detail to ensure that we got the effect of sunlight breaking through the dark clouds just right. As well as this, we did some cosmetic work such as removing tyre tracks in the sand and added additional penguins for the close up shots. We also created the stone thrown by the young boy and its track into the sky.”
Featured Walk : Mewslade to Rhossili
Nine pages of detailed information with 48 photographs and a series of maps that will give a step by step guide to this dramatic walk that has excellent panoramic views over Mewslade, Fall Bay, Worms Head and Rhossili Bay.
